"Lock her up!" The Empress ordered, a small smug smile fixed onto her lips.

The soldier that released Iasa directed her back to the open cage. Eboni watched as she made her way back inside without any argument.

Catching her eye Eboni knew they were thinking the same thought- soon.

The lock clicked shut behind Iasa and they were all sealed inside iron bars once more.

The Empress stood from her throne, taking three slow, purposeful steps towards the wall of the balcony. She held her head high, the jewels dripping from her neck and crown reflecting the glaring sun.

"People of Admari. These people are claiming to each hold a part of the soul of our God Elementi. But there they are- locked in cages. Mortals. The man beside me. He holds true power. So, I say to you- pretenders. Prove it."

Eboni looked to the others. Atu nodded, first at Kas, then at Eboni.

The Empress wanted proof? Did she think they were lying? That they were so weak they would be no match for her?

Eboni set her hands on the bars in front of her. Drawing energy from the humid air surrounding her. The bars beneath her palms prickled as power flowed through them, sparking under her palms before the metal melted away. She looked over to Kas to find him staring at her, a huge smile on his lips.

She rolled her eyes 'your turn' she mouthed.

Branches shout out of the ground winding themselves around Kas's cage, snaking in and out of the bars, pulling taught.

"Ready?" Kas bellowed over the mixed shouts of awe and horror of the audience.

"Ready!"

The bars of her cage shattered as she flung out her arms- screams flying through the audience.

Turning back to Kas she saw branches splayed across the circle clutching iron bars in their wooden grasp.

The screaming intensified, looking to the audience she saw the beginning of sheer panic.

The Empress was still stood staring at the cages, she scowled as her gaze locked with Eboni's.

Tearing her eyes away Eboni turned to her friends who were still locked in the cages.

"Atu, I need a soft wind to amplify my voice over the crowd." She shouted.

A light wind picked up, it flew around in a circle just off the ground so it didn't pick up any sand.

"My name is Sister Eboni of God's Land. I was given my power to destroy the Darkness that has started to seep its way into our lives." She shouted, her voice carrying in the wind over the screams and shouts panic.

"They came to my home- they attacked God's Land. My brother, Princes Iasa and I fled for our lives! But they followed us and attacked us again in Sher woods- they kill without mercy or reason.

But they have been in Admari for a long time- can't you feel it? Your fields are barren, wells are dry. Your Empress has been turned from the light by the man sat beside her!

The Darkness will seep away all that is good from our souls. We need to fight it! Join us! Help us finish our creators work! Help us destroy the Darkness once and for all."

Eboni nodded to Atu, the wind dropping from the air.

Kas ran to her side. "We have done all we can, now it is up to the people."

They looked up the Empress, both her and the Dark One were stood up, their faces etched with fury.

"Kill them!" The Empress screamed, her voice piercing the air.

Eboni's palms quivered in anticipation for the inevitable fight about to storm their way.

But the Admari soldiers stood still, unmoving to their Empresses orders.

A lone man pushed himself through the seating towards the arena, jumping over the wall separate from the audience from the sandy circle.

Kas scoffed. "That's it?" He looked at her in disbelief, before glancing over to the soldiers who were still in formation under the entrance to the arena, then to the single man who was now stood by the wall, watching the audience.

They stood in silence for what was the most confusing and awkward second Eboni had ever experienced.

Another man wove his way down through the audience and climbed over the wall. Then another, and another. Soon there were a small group of men and women in the circle, all now staring at Eboni and Kas. Their expressions blank, devoid of all emotion, hair wild, clutching random weapons that began to appear from inside pockets and under cloaks.

"Dark Ones?" Kas mumbled.

Eboni looked up at the Empress and her companion, nodding a silent reply to Kas's question. The Empress and Dark One looked down at Eboni and Kas, then at the small group of people front the audience.

"You want to fight against us? You want to see what real power is?" The man shouted, the group of people standing to attention at the sound of his voice.

Eboni and Kas stood in silence, both now incredibly confused as to who they were going to be fighting. They had anticipated an army- not 20 people with weird hair.

"Kill them!" The man shouted.

The group sprung from the ground, sprinting forward, raising their weapons. Screams from the remaining audience ripped through the air along with the cackle of laughter from the Empress.

A gust of air shot out like a pulse from Atu's outstretched palms, low to the floor catching the ankles of the oncoming attackers making them fall to the floor.

Those who escaped their defence split up into two groups, one charging to Kas, the other straight towards her.

"Time to play." Kas said, rolling back his shoulders and flexing his muscles.

Swallowing her fear, Eboni focused, energy prickled through the air as branches swung through the air knowing down a now dwindling group of fighters.

The shattering of another cage broke Eboni's concentration. Whirling around she saw Atu stood in the middle of a collapsed cage, his eyes fixed on the audience behind her.

A gust of wind spun her around and she finally saw what they were really up against.

Men and women were pouring into the large arena front the audience. Each with blank expressions and wild hair. Their hands clutching weapons, their eyes fixed on Eboni and the others.

"Atu! Free the others!" She screamed- throwing up a tall, wide, ice wall between her and the oncoming Dark Ones. It wasn't strong but it would hold them back for a few precious moments.

Before Atu could direct his power to free the others she heard the click of locks being opened.

The soldier from before had freed them and was ushering them towards the archway where the Admari army were still stood to attention- motionless.

The shield shattered, thousands of tiny golden shards falling down through the air towards them. Eboni lifter her palms to the sky, channelling her power on a scale she had never done before.

The shards halted in the air as though hanging by a thread. Pushing her palms towards the oncoming attack they flew through the air piercing and pushing their way through anything- or any one- they came into contact with.

She dropped her palms as a sudden wave of exhaustion fell over her, the shards falling to the ground before disappearing as though they had never existed.

She smiled triumphantly as nearly a quarter of the Dark Ones fell to the ground, a distant ache in her heart for the lives lost smothered by the adrenaline of knowing hers and those she loved could be over in any minute.

"Atu, the plan!" Kas shouted as Atu ran forward to help her as she swayed, the sudden loss of a power throwing her off balance.

He stared at her, then at Kas before turning on his heel and racing to the others.

Vines grew from the ground twisting around the attacker's legs and sucking them into the ground.

"Eboni! Focus!" Kas shouted, running to stand beside her.

She took one last look at the retreating figures of her friends before turning back to the Dark Ones. There were still hundreds left standing, all charging towards her.

Fear seeped into her bones as she unleashed another wave of energy through the air stopping the hearts of those who were in its way.

"Kas, I'm not a fighter, I don't know what else to do! I'm losing power!" She shouted.

He grabbed her hand. "I'm beside you, you can do this. No mercy Eboni." He released her hand. Kneeling on the floor he rested his palm on the sandy ground, it rippled beneath his touch. A tree burst from the ground, growing at a rapid rate, its branches reaching out, grabbing and flinging anyone who came close to it.

Chaos reigned down over the arena. The cities people, finally realising they needed to fight to save their land began to either take up arms or flee with their families,

A dwindling wave of power came over her but she had to carry on. They didn't have only themselves or their friends to protect now, the city people were now well into the fight.

Eboni caught sight of rolling pins, fire pokers and kitchen knives being used to fight- to defend.

The Empress and the Dark One were still stood on the balcony, watching over the attack. The Commander was stood back, in the shadows, his eyes calculating as he followed every movement in the arena below him.

Eboni glanced at him, confused- whose side was he on? The army were looking to him- What is he waiting for?

They were smug. The Empress and the man stood by her side were stood, lording over death and pain, smiling as though they were winning. Which they weren't.

Eboni couldn't dwell on the thought too long as another wave of Dark Ones fell over the arena.

Where had they all come from undetected? - How long had they been here undetected? She corrected herself.

"Eboni- Shield!" Kas shouted, pointing to a group of City fighters struggling against the onslaught of attackers.

She flung out her hand, spending what little energy she had left on building a protective wall between the folk and the Dark Ones so they could collect themselves and pick up their discarded weapons.

"Kas, I'm nearly out." She shouted, while Kas was concentrating on growing a small forest of grabbing trees. They would shoot out of the ground already looking as though they had stood in the earth for a hundred years. The branches held no mercy as they grabbed anything spewing darkness that moved beneath them.

Eboni had quickly learnt to sense the difference between the Dark Ones and the allies. Once she had become better attuned to it had become incredibly easy to start picking them out of the dense crowds of fighters.

"Eboni, hold on- not long now I promise." Kas replied, running up to her, checking her for any injuries while squeezing her hand reassuringly.

She looked him over, his trousers were caked in blood and sand, his tunic sliced to shreds, yet he barely had a sweat.

She was on the verge of tears.

"Eboni look!" Kas pointed to the balcony.

They watched as the Dark One extended his arms out in front of him, palms facing the arena.

Dread sank through her bones as Eboni realised what he was about to do.

"He's making the people blind!" She said, horror now coming over her fighters of the light began stumbling around blindly before being mercilessly cut down.

"We have to move, it is coming our way- as soon as we go blind we're dead." Kas grabbed hold of her hand, dragging her towards the exit.

As they neared the archway, the army- still stood to attention- began to move.

Eboni whirled around, the Commander had finally given his army an order- but who were they now marching towards?

She gasped.

The Dark One was now stood wide eyed, blood bubbling from his mouth, a knife buried deep into his neck, the Commander gripping the hilt.

Before she could process what had just happened the Commander had withdrawn the knife from the Dark Ones throat and plunged it into the Empress's stomach.

"Well, that was unexpected." Kas said as they stared up at the balcony. Watching as the Empress gasped her last breath, clutching the diamond choker at her neck as her body went limp.

"Come on, we need to get to the others before the Dark Ones realise what has happened." Kas pulled her back towards the exit.

"I think it's too late for that." Eboni said. They ran to the archway, dodging soldiers as they began to flood the arena.

The Dark Ones, realising their leader was now dead began to attack in a frenzy.

"Eboni, the soldiers will take it from here. We need to find the others and make sure they are all ok." Kas said as Eboni stopped and looked back in a daze, debating whether or not to go back and help.

The mention of the others in potential danger snapped her out of her daze. Fear gripped her as she realised there would be more Dark Ones outside the arena, no doubt guarding the docks, who would have attacked the others.

"Let's go."

Together they ran through the streets of Admari. Market stalls were splintered and scattered across the road as the fighting spilled onto the streets.

Eboni followed the signs that pointed to the docks. Her heart racing as scenarios flashed through her mind. Had they managed to all get to the boat together? Had they been split up by the Dark Ones? Would she be too late, and find them laying in the dirt?

She shook her head trying to rid herself from the images in her mind.

Dark Ones ran out of side streets and jumped down from roofs as they ran through the city. Everywhere they turned carnage followed.

"Look, Orlan and Iasa!" Kas said, tugging on her hand to let her know the change in direction.

Relief washed over her as she took in her friends standing by the dockside.

Orlan, Kimi and Atu were fighting, swords slashing and stabbing as the Dark Ones surrounding them tried to get to the others. Raus was kneeled on the floor, his hands in the water, eyes shut.

Iasa was stood in front of Raus protectively, throwing fire balls at anyone who dared to get close.

The screams of the fallen ringed through her ears as Eboni and Kas both sprinted towards their comrades.

"Where is the boat?" Eboni shouted as they broke through a wind barrier Atu had put up.

"Out there." Iasa pointed out to the ocean. A small dot in the horizon was all that Eboni could make out of their vessel.

"How are we going to reach that?" She asked, looking around the dock to see whether there were any other boats they could 'borrow'- there weren't.

"Raus is on it." Iasa said, grinning down at the boy she was guarding.

Kas had joined his brother in defending them as more and more Dark Ones converged onto the Dock.

"Any time soon would be fantastic." Eboni said, her eyes glued on the small dot bobbing in the ocean.

The ground below her feet rumbled. She looked down to see small cracks appearing in the earth. The ground rumbled again, this time much louder, sending them off balance.

Turning back to Raus she saw him looking out to the horizon. Following his gaze, she sucked in a sharp gasp as she realised what was now coming their way.

It started small. A Dark wall of water slowly rising out of the ocean, growing and widening in size as it came closer and closer.

"Raus... You can control it... Right?" Eboni asked uncertainly as the wave rushed closer and closer.

"I guess we'll find out!" He replied cheerily, grinning as it began to suck the water from the Dock into its gigantic hold.

"What!?" Iasa shrieked, her face now ashen as she too took in the monster that was heading straight for them.

Eboni watched as the wave picked up their boat, the wave carrying it forward at an alarming rate.

She heard the screams of fright from the fighters behind them. Turning she watched as the City dwellers who had remained to fight ran back into the city to try and escape the looming danger.

All that remained were the Dark Ones, a handful of Admari soldiers and a large group of Dark Ones- who had not reacted in any way to the possible impending death by drowning that was currently hurtling their way.

The wave entered the bay were the dock lay, its looming height seemingly touching the sky. Then in dropped. The wall of water collapsing as Raus released it from his hold, water raining down from the sky soaking everyone who had remained on the Dock.

Their boat casually sailing up to the pier they were stood by as though it had just sailed there itself.

Iasa and Eboni both stared down wide eyed at a grinning, soaking wet, Raus.

"Let's go!" He said, jumping up and running down the pier towards their escape.

"Orlan, Kimi- go! Atu and Kas can hold them off until you get on board." Eboni shouted as she followed Raus and Iasa down the pier.

Waiting for the others to get on board first she watched helpless and The Dark Ones pushed Atu and Kas down the pier.

They were trying to keep up their defences and attack with what would now be a much-depleted energy resource.

Eboni climbed up the ladder that Orlan and Kimi had propped up, Kas and Atu clambering as they tried to keep the Dark Ones form sabotaging their boat.

A large gust of wind picked up around them, sending a few Dark Ones flying from the pier before the sails of the boat unfurled themselves, catching the wind and pushing them away from the pier.

Eboni looked to her friends who were all like her, sat exhausted on the floor. Atu was the only one left standing, his raised had helping him direct the wind to the sails, pushing them away from the pier, away from the bay and away from Admari.